To Hell & Back
by InspyreLove
Summary: My take on what happened before the 'torture' scene they showed us. What made Hatter mumble those famous words, "Why is a raven like a writing desk?" Was he thinking of Alice, or maybe something more personal? - Wrote this One Shot for a bit of practice before I started writing my other Alice stories. Rated M just to be safe for a bit of language and the violence. Enjoy.


In the dark depths of Happy Hearts Casino, Hatter was being held captive in the trip-inducing Truth Room. His wrists, rubbed to the point of being raw, pulled hard against the ropes once more.

"No use."  
"It's a pity, really."

Voices echoed off the nonexistent walls. A bald head popped around his left shoulder, showing off a toothy grin.

"Welcome, welcome! He's Dr. Dee."

"And this is my brother," another figure came into view from the opposite side.

"Dr. Dum."

They marched together and twisted Hatter's chair around to face them. Realization hit him almost instantly. Hatter had seen their hideous faces before. Although he had to make a quick getaway the last time they crossed paths, it was just the three of them now. At their proper sizes too, mind you. Perfect. His lucky right fist had been getting out of practice anyway.

"I know bloody well who you two are. You were the fuckers who tortured Alice. Almost _killed _her, you did!"

They both clapped and sang out one after the other, "Still. Any occasion,"  
"To give a presentation,"  
"Is what,"  
"We do best!"

Hatter thrashed about violently, "For the love of all things holy, will you stop finishing each others sentences!"

"Tut tut. It seems he wants to ruin all of our fun, brother."

The doctors now circled Hatter's chair.

"Tut, indeed. Shall we show him what it's really like to go mad?"

"Smart idea. Couldn't have thought of anything better myself, Dee."

"Well, we _are_ doctors after all, Dum."

The two held their stomachs as they doubled over, laughing. Hatter, however, was not amused in the slightest. He was bleeding profusely, and the throbbing in his head seemed impossibly loud. If they had taken this course of action on someone who they thought was a follower of the Queen, what would they do to Alice, who was always seen as a traitor?  
_Alice._

"Oh, my dear Alice. I'll be there soon." Hatter whispered to himself, and his eyes shut tight while he tried to conjure up a plan.

"What was that now?" Dr. Dee visibly stiffened; hearing her name made him think of their last encounter. Hatter had won – and for that, the twins almost lost their heads – but not this time.

"Tell me what they've done with Alice!" The chair rattled underneath Hatter's wrath.

Dr. Dum folded his arms across his chest. "Oh, is that _all_ you ever think about?"  
Dr. Dee imitated the gesture.  
"Alice this, Alice that. Just give her a sip of your Lust tea and get it bloody over with already."

Hatter hissed. "You motherfucker..."

"On the contrary," Dee started. "Our mother is quite hideous."

"I don't think such an action would ever take place." Dum finished, and the two were caught in a fit of laughter again. Hatter took this an opportunity to stand and swing into the two brothers. But Dr. Dee quickly clasped one of the chair legs and clucked his tongue.

"Gettin' a bit tricky now, aren't we? Dr. Dum, be a good fellow assistant and fetch me my taser, will you?"

"You-Your what now?" Hatter swallowed hard.

"Ah, yes. My taser. We're going to give you a few jolts. You know, wake you up a bit. Perhaps you'll realize the error you made when you attempted to pull a sword on the Queen's beloved Suits."

Dum grinned in satisfaction. "And perhaps not."

"Perhaps I'll kill the both of you, yeah? I like that idea. Let's go with that one." Hatter could feel the ropes giving in slowly. If only he could distract them just a bit longer...  
He jumped to his feet, balancing the chair across his back, but when the taser came in contact with his side, he collapsed to the floor.

The twins sat his chair up properly and shook their heads in disgust.  
"Pity." They mumbled in unison.

"Better wake him up."

The electric shocks continued for what felt like hours. Hatter would float in and out of consciousness. Sure, his body whelped where the tip of the taser touched his already-bruised skin, but his mind seemed to take it the hardest.

It felt as if it was rewiring itself.  
Hatter could now remember moments from his childhood, but most of them were repressed for a reason. His father was quite..._mad._  
One memory in particular stood out to him, though. The day he found his father's riddle journal was the day he took a liking to reading. Hatter would spend hours at a time trying to decode the various word puzzles that were scattered about the pages.

_Why is a raven like a writing desk?_  
Dr. Dee skipped around gleefully.  
_Why...is a raven..._  
Another shock from the taser.

Hatter writhed in agony...his mind may have been clouded with delusions, but the pain was there and it was real. The possibility of finding Alice alive was the only thing that kept Hatter from admitting defeat and falling into a pile.  
_  
__Why..._

Shock.

And then Mad March approached. The twins fell silent – something Hatter was thankful for, even if it did mean he was probably going to die soon.

"Leave us." Mad March commanded to the twin doctors.

Dum raised his hand in protest "But -"

"I said leave!"

Dr. Dee could not resist, and stabbed Hatter with the taser one last time before scurrying out of the room with his brother.

He howled in pain, but felt more fury than anything. Something in Hatter snapped. He continued to pull against the restraints, but paid no attention to the assassin that approached him.

"Why is a raven like a writing desk..."

Breathe in, breathe out.

"The clockwork's not ticking properly...May be crumbs in the butter."

Mad March didn't have time to listen to another mad man's ramblings and riddles. He came to find answers.

"Tell me where the Great Library is." there was no question in his voice.

But Hatter was stubborn as well.  
Like he told Alice, he could not ride the fence anymore. He had picked his side and was now dedicated fully to the Resistance. Not even the most deadly man in all of Wonderland could change his mind about that.

"Yeah, I didn't think you'd crack." Mad March titled his rabbit head. "In that case, there's no need to keep you alive."

He pulled a knife from his sleeve. Hatter had been restrained this entire time by two idiots, there was no need to be cautious or dramatic with this death.  
Then again...it wouldn't hurt to add a little humor.

"Twinkle, twinkle little bat. How I wonder what you're at."  
He chuckled. "Goodbye, Hatter."

Going on instinct, Hatter pushed his chair backwards the moment Mad March lunged forward with the intent to kill. With a swift kick to the stomach, March was sent stumbling backwards and Hatter arranged himself behind the protection of the chair.  
He lifted it quickly, and blocked his enemies next attack. In what can only be described as a much-needed miracle, Mad March's knife managed to cut Hatter's restraints with only grazing his wrist.

There was no time to waste with undoing the other ropes now. Trusty righty was unleashed, and as the Queen's pet swung across, Hatter's fist collided with his fake head and shattered it completely. After a few reassuring stomps on the remaining computerized pieces, Hatter noticed he was free.  
Then a thought came to mind.

_How the Hell do I get out of my own head?_


End file.
